Goods and Chattels

Definition - What does Goods and Chattels mean?

Goods and chattels refer to a person's property with the exclusion of real estate, land or anything that is attached to land, like a tree. Examples of goods and chattels include jewelry, furniture, cash, paintings, cars, clothing, etc. Examples of things that do not qualify as goods and chattels include houses, trees, ponds, buildings, etc.

Justipedia explains Goods and Chattels

The word "goods" refers to items of property. The word "chattels" originally referred to "cattle" in the feudal time period. So a person's goods and chattels used to refer to his or her personal property and cattle. However, the meaning of goods and chattels changed over time as fewer and fewer people owned cattle. Now it simply refers to non-real estate possessions. Computers, smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices are examples of modern-day goods and chattels.